This invention relates to elevator systems, and more particularly to those elevator systems having a track enclosed trolley system powered by a drive means remote from the platform.
The art of elevator system design is an active one, featuring many alternative approaches. One particularly large class of elevator systems are those adapted to operate on an incline, such as along a staircase for conveyance of wheelchair patients. In this class of system, the prior art is relatively extensive. Generally, however, all such systems have similar objectives, relating to simplicity and safety of design, ease of use, and minimal occlusion of the stairway. The present invention is also generally directed to these objectives.
In one significant subclass of inclined elevator system, the power source is integral with the elevator platform, and operates to move the platform up and down the incline either by the winding and unwinding of cable, or by the operation of a threaded shaft engaging nuts which move therealong. See, for example, my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,662,859 and 3,833,092.
In another class of system, a discrete power source operates trolleys riding upon or enclosed within a track, and the elevator platform is attached to the trolleys. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,933,309, 2,950,948, 3,312,307, and 3,121,476.
In many respects the latter class of system has advantages in that the removal of the power source from the platform allows for a less encumbered stairway, and for lighter, less obtrusive elevator platforms.
The present invention is directed to the latter class of system (i.e., those with remote drive sources and track enclosed trolleys), but is intended further to simplify and reduce the size of the apparatus involved. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an elevator mechanism which, when mounted on a staircase, is of compact and rigid construction, conserves space on the stairway, presents a compact and neat appearance, and yet is flexible in assembly for accommodating various configurations of building constructions. Further, the present invention is directed to provision for a configuration which may simply and conveniently be mounted and used by handicapped or other incapacitated persons, yet which minimally affects the appearance and function of the staircase for its normal use.
Another important objective of the present invention relates to its flexibility of design. That is, it is a principal object of the present invention that the apparatus and design useful for inclined elevator systems such as along a staircase be directly adaptable for use in vertical elevator systems. That is, the present invention is directed to elevator-track-trolley combinations, powered by discrete drive means, which are directly applicable both to inclined and vertical elevator systems. Correspondingly, the safety aspects of the system must be reliable and efficient for either configuration.